The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the primary endocrine system to respond to stress. The HPA axis may be affected by increased level of corticotrophin-releasing factors under chronic stress and by chronic administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether chronic MSG administration aggravates chronic variable stress (CVS)-induced behavioral and hormonal changes. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200∼ 220 g, were divided into 4 groups as follows: water administration (CON), MSG (3 g/kg) administration (MSG), CVS, and CVS with MSG (3 g/kg) administration (CVS＋ MSG). In addition, for the purpose of comparing the effect on plasma corticosterone levels between chronic stress and daily care or acute stress, 2 groups were added at the end of the experiment; the 2 new groups were as follows: naïve mice (n=7) and mice exposed to restraint stress for 2 h just before decapitation (A-Str, n=7). In an open field test performed after the experiment, the CVS＋ MSG group significant decrease in activity. The increase in relative adrenal weights in the CVS and CVS＋ MSG group was significantly greater than those in the CON and/or MSG groups. In spite of the increase in the relative adrenal weight, there was a significant decrease in the plasma corticosterone levels in the CVS＋ MSG group as compared to all other groups, except the naïve group. These results suggest that impaired HPA axis function as well as the decrease in the behavioral activity in adult rats can be induced by chronic MSG administration under CVS rather than CVS alone.

Septic arthritis of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint is a rare entity with symptoms that include erythema, swelling, and tenderness over the AC joint, fever, and limitation of shoulder motion with pain. In previous reports, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species have been mentioned as common causative organisms. Haemophilus parainfluenzae is a normal inhabitant of the oral cavity, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and urogenital tract. However, it sometimes causes opportunistic infections leading to septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. AC joint infection associated with H.parainfluenzae is very rare, and only one case has been reported in the literature. Moreover, septic arthritis in immunocompetent patients is also very rare. Here, we report the case of a healthy patient with H. parainfluenzae-related septic arthritis of the AC joint.

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Cervical epidural steroid injection is indicated for radicular symptoms with or without axial neck pain. Complications are rare but can be serious. Here, we report the case of a 54-year-old man with cervical radicular pain who was treated with cervical epidural steroid injection. Injection was administered twice under fluoroscopic guidance with the loss-of-resistance technique using air to confirm the epidural space. After the second procedure, the patient complained of severe persistent headache and was diagnosed with pneumocephalus on brain computed tomography. The patient returned home without any neurological complication, after a few days of conservative treatment. Though, a fluoroscopic guidance cervical epidural injection is also known to diminish the risk of complications. Physicians should always keep in mind that it does not guarantee safety, particularly in the cervical region, related to its anatomical considerations.